Desert Island Songs
This post is dedicated to two people: Andrew Williams, who first introduced me to the concept of having a list of Desert Island Songs, and Amir Arani, who has made the biggest individual contribution to my musical inspiration and education thus far in my life. This concept essentially begs the question, if you were marooned on a deserted island, which 5 songs would you wish to have with you? This turned out to be an incredibly difficult question to answer. It really begs more questions than answers.
What kind of songs would I like? Would it be smarter to have more inspirational songs? Would I want songs with lyrics or without? Would they all have to be songs I could sing and/or dance to? What would be most comforting if I was all alone?
I started my list, and realized I just couldn't get it down to five songs, so I detailed my top 5, but I couldn't leave the rest off the post. I figured that whomever marooned me on this imaginary island could at least let me mention them.
Strobe - Deadmau5
I'll be honest, I struggled with what song I should round off my top 5 with. I knew I needed something electronic, but picking a favourite is quite impossible. I picked Strobe for several reasons: 1) Deadmau5 is the first electronic artist I can remember really loving, so I like the idea that I would have him with me on my island. I remember the first time I heard this song, I was at my first Deadmau5 concert during the 2010 Olympics, after I waited for 6 hours to get in to see him perform. It was worth it. 2) It's got a slow build, that leads inevitably into a series of mastered beats and melodies, that you can use to pump up a crowd, and at the same time focus them, centre them, calm them. It's like the Little Black Dress of electro, depending on how you dress it up, it is good for anything. 3) This is the song that me and some of the most important people in my life put on when we are lying on the deck of a secluded cabin getaway, at 2am on a clear night, and we just want to take time to appreciate the beauty of the stars, the music, and our existence in general.
What would your Desert Island Songs be and why?? I want to know!
These are my Honorable Mentions if I could have as many songs as I want, which really has morphed into a really long list of my favourite songs. My dance jams, my guilty pleasures, and everything in between. There is no way I could think of them all at once, so be prepared for me to be adding to this constantly and let me know great hits that I've missed!
-Burn - Ellie Goulding
What kind of songs would I like? Would it be smarter to have more inspirational songs? Would I want songs with lyrics or without? Would they all have to be songs I could sing and/or dance to? What would be most comforting if I was all alone?
I started my list, and realized I just couldn't get it down to five songs, so I detailed my top 5, but I couldn't leave the rest off the post. I figured that whomever marooned me on this imaginary island could at least let me mention them.
My Desert Island Songs
Hauntingly beautiful, and has always been one of the songs I imagined myself first learning on guitar, which I am happy to say is becoming a slow reality thanks to my wonderful guitar teacher Ray Holroyd. It's got great lyrics, it's got a simple, memorable melody, and it is something that I can listen to over and over. I feel like "Take me to the place I love" would be a comforting mantra to help focus on getting yourself off your lonesome little island.
I just love to sing this song. It's in the perfect range for my voice, it has a languid, reggae-punk melody, and my fingers itch to play it on guitar. Musically, I connect with it on many levels. It's also a throwback number for me. When I was 14, I could probably sing Sublime's self-titled album and 40oz To Freedom all the way through. It reminds me of carefree, barefoot summer days, my first parties, and that phase of teenage angst where it seems that there is always something to worry about, even though you have almost no responsibilities besides homework and chores. I feel like that would be a good reminder to be grateful if marooned on an island where my main concern would simply be staying alive.
Freaks and Geeks, Childish Gambino
This song has undeniable swagger and an amazing beat. Gambino is also such a brilliant lyricist, this song inspires me to write. There are so many word plays in his music, I feel like he doesn't get enough credit for their complexity. It is also one of the only rap songs I can sing all the way through and probably my top pick if I were to ever gather enough nerve to do Hip Hop karaoke at Fortune in Vancouver. Being deserted on an island would certainly give me time to practice my performance.
This song has undeniable swagger and an amazing beat. Gambino is also such a brilliant lyricist, this song inspires me to write. There are so many word plays in his music, I feel like he doesn't get enough credit for their complexity. It is also one of the only rap songs I can sing all the way through and probably my top pick if I were to ever gather enough nerve to do Hip Hop karaoke at Fortune in Vancouver. Being deserted on an island would certainly give me time to practice my performance.
This song has extreme nostalgic value to me. It is a song of the 90s, and it played a lot around the time when I was first aware that boys existed in a way that didn't annoy me. It is also a great sultry dance jam, and if you're going to keep your spirits up alone on an island, you're going to need a track you can "work it" to.
I'll be honest, I struggled with what song I should round off my top 5 with. I knew I needed something electronic, but picking a favourite is quite impossible. I picked Strobe for several reasons: 1) Deadmau5 is the first electronic artist I can remember really loving, so I like the idea that I would have him with me on my island. I remember the first time I heard this song, I was at my first Deadmau5 concert during the 2010 Olympics, after I waited for 6 hours to get in to see him perform. It was worth it. 2) It's got a slow build, that leads inevitably into a series of mastered beats and melodies, that you can use to pump up a crowd, and at the same time focus them, centre them, calm them. It's like the Little Black Dress of electro, depending on how you dress it up, it is good for anything. 3) This is the song that me and some of the most important people in my life put on when we are lying on the deck of a secluded cabin getaway, at 2am on a clear night, and we just want to take time to appreciate the beauty of the stars, the music, and our existence in general.
What would your Desert Island Songs be and why?? I want to know!
These are my Honorable Mentions if I could have as many songs as I want, which really has morphed into a really long list of my favourite songs. My dance jams, my guilty pleasures, and everything in between. There is no way I could think of them all at once, so be prepared for me to be adding to this constantly and let me know great hits that I've missed!
-Burn - Ellie Goulding
-Hypnotize - Biggie
-Everlong - Foo Fighters
-Wonderwall - Oasis
-Hysteria - Muse
-One - Swedish House Mafia
-Greyhound - Swedish House Mafia
-Don't you Worry Child - Swedish House Mafia
-You Could Be the One - Avicii
-Sugar - Maroon 5
-Maps - Maroon 5
-Payphone - Maroon 5
-Beauty and a Beat - Justin Bieber
-All Of You - John Legend
-Give Me Love - Ed Sheeran
-Fever - Peggy Lee
-Stolen Dance - Milky Chance
-Wish You Were Here - Lee Fields
-100 Yard Dash - Raphael Saadiq
-The World - Charles Bradley
-The Drugs Don't Work - Ben Harper
-As many 2 Cellos and Pentatonix covers as possible
-The Drugs - The Hold Up
-Lay Me Down - The Dirty Heads
-Ghostwriter - RJD2
-Breakeven - The Script
-A Little Party Never Killed Nobody - Fergie, Q-tip & Goonrock
-Wicked Game - Three Days Grace
-Fast Car - Tracy Chapman
-Toulouse - Nicky Romero
-Too Close - Alex Clare
-Summertime Saddness - Lana Del Ray
-Rolling in the Deep - Adele
-Disparate Youth - Santigold
-Spaceman - Hardwell
-Not
Afraid - Eminem
-The
Longest Text Message - Childish Gambino
-Heartbeat
- Childish Gambino
-Otherside
- Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
-Call
it Off - Drake
-No
One - Alicia Keys
-Don't
Want to Miss a Thing - Aerosmith
-Remedy
- Zedd
-Clarity
- Zedd
-Summer
- Calvin Harris
-Mirrors
- JT
-Same Love - Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
-Kick
Out the Epic Motherfucker - Dada Life
-Epic
- Sandro Silva and Quintino
-Adorn
- Miguel
-You
Used to Hold Me - Calvin Harris
-Beat
It - Michael Jackson
-Let's
Go - Porter Robinson
-4
Seasons - Vivaldi
-Titanium
- David Guetta ft. Sia
-We'll Be Coming Back - Calvin Harris ft. Example
-Outside
- Calvin Harris and Ellie Goulding
-I Am a Highway - Audioslave
-Like
a Stone - Audioslave
-Stole
the Show - Kygo
-Uptown
Funk - Bruno Mars
-Thrift Shop - Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
-Shoop - Salt N' Pepa-Thrift Shop - Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
-One - Swedish House Mafia
-Greyhound - Swedish House Mafia
-Don't you Worry Child - Swedish House Mafia
-You Could Be the One - Avicii
-Sugar - Maroon 5
-Maps - Maroon 5
-Payphone - Maroon 5
-Beauty and a Beat - Justin Bieber
-All Of You - John Legend
-Give Me Love - Ed Sheeran
-Fever - Peggy Lee
-Stolen Dance - Milky Chance
-Wish You Were Here - Lee Fields
-100 Yard Dash - Raphael Saadiq
-The World - Charles Bradley
-The Drugs Don't Work - Ben Harper
-As many 2 Cellos and Pentatonix covers as possible
-The Drugs - The Hold Up
-Lay Me Down - The Dirty Heads
-Ghostwriter - RJD2
-Breakeven - The Script
-A Little Party Never Killed Nobody - Fergie, Q-tip & Goonrock
-Wicked Game - Three Days Grace
-Fast Car - Tracy Chapman
-Toulouse - Nicky Romero
-Too Close - Alex Clare
-Summertime Saddness - Lana Del Ray
-Rolling in the Deep - Adele
-Disparate Youth - Santigold
-Spaceman - Hardwell
-Bangarang - Skrillex
-Can't Hold Us - Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
-Feel It In My Bones - Tiesto ft. Tegan and Sara
-Midnight City - M83
-Fuckin' Problem - 2Chainz, Drake, Kendrick Lamar, A$AP Rocky
-Thriller - Michael Jackson
-Loud Pipes - Ratatat
-Old Pine - Ben Howard
-Shooting Stars - Bag Raiders
-Sweater Weather - The Neighbourhood
-Daylight - Matt & Kim
-All About You - Classified
-Dilemma - Nelly ft. Kelly Rowland
-Get Lucky - Daft Punk ft. Pharell
-Californication - Red Hot Chili Peppers
-Otherside - Red Hot Chili Peppers
-The Sun - Maroon 5
-Can't Stop - Red Hot Chili Peppers
-By The Way - Red Hot Chili Peppers
-Scar Tissue - Red Hot Chili Peppers
-Tears in Heaven - Eric Clapton
-One More Night - Maroon 5
-California Love - 2Pac ft. Dr. Dre
-Gangsters Paradise - Coolio ft. L.V.
-Over My head - The Fray
-Fire in Your New Shoes - Dragonette
-The A Team - Ed Sheeran
-Ain't No Reason - Brett Dennen
-I Remember - Deadmau5
-Ghosts N' Stuff - Deadmau5
-House of Cards - Radiohead
-Stereo Love - Edward Maya & Vika Jigulina
-Ignition - R Kelly
-Call Me Maybe - Carly Rae Jepsen
-Thinking Bout You - Frank Ocean
-Sail - Awolnation
-Can't Hold Us - Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
-Feel It In My Bones - Tiesto ft. Tegan and Sara
-Midnight City - M83
-Fuckin' Problem - 2Chainz, Drake, Kendrick Lamar, A$AP Rocky
-Thriller - Michael Jackson
-Loud Pipes - Ratatat
-Old Pine - Ben Howard
-Shooting Stars - Bag Raiders
-Sweater Weather - The Neighbourhood
-Daylight - Matt & Kim
-All About You - Classified
-Dilemma - Nelly ft. Kelly Rowland
-Get Lucky - Daft Punk ft. Pharell
-Californication - Red Hot Chili Peppers
-Otherside - Red Hot Chili Peppers
-The Sun - Maroon 5
-Can't Stop - Red Hot Chili Peppers
-By The Way - Red Hot Chili Peppers
-Scar Tissue - Red Hot Chili Peppers
-Tears in Heaven - Eric Clapton
-One More Night - Maroon 5
-California Love - 2Pac ft. Dr. Dre
-Gangsters Paradise - Coolio ft. L.V.
-Over My head - The Fray
-Fire in Your New Shoes - Dragonette
-The A Team - Ed Sheeran
-Ain't No Reason - Brett Dennen
-I Remember - Deadmau5
-Ghosts N' Stuff - Deadmau5
-House of Cards - Radiohead
-Stereo Love - Edward Maya & Vika Jigulina
-Ignition - R Kelly
-Call Me Maybe - Carly Rae Jepsen
-Thinking Bout You - Frank Ocean
-Sail - Awolnation